INDUSTRY

QantasLink Selects FreeFlight Systems 1203C SBAS/GNSS Sensor

NextGen avionics leader FreeFlight Systems has announced that QantasLink, Australia’s largest regional airline, has selected the FreeFlight 1203C SBAS/GNSS sensor for retrofit into its DHC-8-200/300 series of aircraft.

As a certified ADS-B position source approved for all ICAO jurisdictions, the integrated 15-channel 1203C SBAS/ GNSS sensor is part of a fully rulecompliant ADS-B Out system when paired with a compatible certified Mode S transponder like the TDR- 94D. Providing reliable service to fleets worldwide, the 1203C also serves as the approved position source for CPDLC, TAWS/FMS, RNP and other NextGen applications. www.freefl ightsystems.com

New data controller for surveying by Topcon

Topcon Positioning Group has added the FC-5000 to its line of data controllers for construction and surveying professionals. The 7-inch sunlight-readable display field controller is designed to provide operators a larger, more versatile and faster handheld computer for the modern construction site. The controller is compatible with all Topcon GNSS receivers and total stations — operating MAGNET Field, Site and Layout software. Additional features include an optional 4G LTE cellular modem, internal GPS navigation, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and a battery life of 10-plus hours.

Hexagon opens 1,200-seater office in Hyderabad

Research and development unit of Hexagon AB, Hexagon Capability Centre India (HCCI) has opened a 1,200-seater offi ce in Hyderabad. Along with this, the IT fi rm also announced that the HCCI will relocate operations at its four offices in the city to the new facility in Hi-Tec city.

The facility houses Hexagon’s Product R&D and services teams working on integrated technologies in the areas of aerospace, agriculture, automotive infrastructure, construction, mining, power, safety, surveying and security. It is one of the three major R&D facilities of Hexagon – Switzerland and the U.S. has one each.

Vice president and country manager Navaneet Mishra said that the headcount of the unit is 1,000 and there are plans to raise this by 200 in about two and a half years. Apart from those engaged in the R&D operation in the city, the company has a sales network of about 250 people spread across the country. Hindu

OriginGPS launches Multi Micro Spider

GNSS module maker OriginGPS has launched the new Multi Micro Spider, which has a fully integrated and highly sensitive multi-GNSS module, with support for GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and Galileo. The Multi Micro Spider is designed for applications that require quick movement, minimal power consumption and ultra-small form factors, such as wearables and drones.

Hexagon acquires SigmaSpace

Hexagon AB has announced the acquisition of SigmaSpace Corporation, a next-generation technologies provider. Headquartered near Washington, SigmaSpace offers a unique LiDAR technology that enables 3D data collection at much higher speeds and resolution than conventional systems.

Sokkia releases SHC500 Field Controller

Sokkia has introduced an addition to its line of fi eld controllers for construction and surveying applications — the SHC500. It is designed to provide operators a compact handheld option with numerous features and benefi ts, including a 4.3- inch touchscreen display and optional 5 MP camera with built-in LED flash.

It is designed for the professional operating MAGNET® Field, Site and Layout software. The data controller works with all Sokkia GNSS receivers and total stations, and meets or exceeds all field application requirements.sokkia.com

Harris Corporation to Offer Fully Digital GPS III Payload

Harris Corporation has announced that it will offer an all-digital navigation payload for GPS III Space Vehicles (SV) 11 and beyond. Harris’ fully digital navigation payload will add value to the U.S. Air Force’s GPS mission by offering enhanced performance and enabling on-orbit reprogramming. The all-digital payload expands on the advanced features of the current 70-percent digital solution Harris provides for Lockheed Martin’s GPS III SV 1-8 satellites. The features provide greater flexibility, affordability and accuracy versus existing satellites and include an advanced modular design, atomic clock timing systems, radiation-hardened computers and powerful transmitters. harris.com

Fugro delivers surface current data

Fugro and remote sensing solutions provider Areté Associates have delivered near real-time, synoptic, surface current data to characterize loop current and loop current eddy conditions in the US Gulf of Mexico. The new Remote Ocean Current Imaging System (ROCIS) was deployed on its first operational project, in the US Gulf of Mexico. Over the course of the fivemonth program, Fugro surveyed currents over a distance of more than 125,000 km (77,671 mi). Fugro and Areté Associates developed a system that uses a combination of digital camera technology and positioning systems, together with advanced algorithms, to derive surface currents from wave spectra measurements. It can be installed on a suitable survey aircraft together with an inertial navigation system augmented by Fugro’s Starfi x satellite positioning system. www.offshore-mag.com

Septentrio PolaRx5 GNSS Reference Station Receivers

Septentrio has announced the start of shipments to UNAVCO of its all new multifrequency PolaRx5 reference receiver. This follows the 2015 announcement by UNAVCO that Septentrio had been selected at the Geodesy Advancing Geosciences EarthScope (GAGE) Facility Preferred Vendor for next-generation GNSS reference station products. UNAVCO is a non-profit universitygoverned consortium that facilitates geosciences research and education using geodesy. UNAVCO operates the GAGE Facility for the National Science Foundation with additional core support from NASA. www.septentrio.com

NEW RIEGL High-Speed Mobile Mapping Turnkey Systems Launched

The new VMQ-1HA High-Speed Single Scanner Mobile Mapping System, with one VUX-1HA scanner integrated, is an economically priced, lightweight system for the growing mobile mapping market. Fully integrated into the measuring head of the system, the sensor enables acquisition of dense point cloud patterns, even with single passes at typical traffic speeds. The optional integration of up to four cameras allows simultaneous acquisition of imagery to complement the captured LiDAR data. The new VMX-1HA High- Speed, High Performance Dual Scanner Mobile Mapping System, with two VUX- 1HA scanners integrated, provides dense, accurate, and feature-rich data, even at high driving speeds. With up to 2 million measurements and 500 scan lines per second, the fully integrated turnkey solution is ideally suited for challenging projects and engineering-grade surveying applications.

‘Similis’ – a new SMD antenna by Antenova

Antenova Ltd, manufacturer of antennas and RF antenna modules for M2M and the Internet of Things, recently revealed a new SMD antenna called Similis, which offers an exceptionally low profi le solution for 3G, LTE and MIMO applications. The Similis antenna measures just 40 x 10 x 1.6mm, making it half the height of the popular Lucida which Antenova introduced last year. Antenova has designed the Similis antenna for low profi le M2M and IoT applications where space is tight and its size will be a real advantage – in particular, it offers a lower profi le than leading wireless cellular modules which are usually more than 2mm in height. This new antenna is suitable for Femto/base stations, portable devices, remote monitoring, smart meters, network devices and wearable electronics. www.antenova-m2m.com

Trimble News

Acutime 360 Multi- GNSS Timing Antenna

Trimble has introduced its latest smart antenna with an integrated multi-GNSS receiver for high accuracy and precise timing applications—the Acutime™ 360. The smart antenna provides a pulseper- second (PPS) output synchronized to UTC within 15 nanoseconds (one sigma). It is built using the fi eldproven Trimble 360™ technology platform for multi-GNSS systems.

R9 GNSS receiver

The Trimble R9s GNSS receiver is scalable and flexible. Built on a sleek, modular GNSS platform, geospatial professionals can add functionality according to their workfl ow demands, such as being deployed as an RTK base station or an RTK rover mounted on a rod, in a backpack or on a vehicle. It provides access to multiple GNSS constellations, wide-band 450 MHz internal radio, Ethernet connectivity and is easily confi gurable via the front panel. The solution also offers scalability from an entry-level receiver for post-processing, to a full-featured triple-frequency GNSS base and rover.

Trimble acquires Sefaira Ltd

Trimble has acquired London/ New York-based Sefaira Ltd., a developer of cloud-based software for the design of sustainable and high-performance buildings.